EU Insights /

Swedish PM Stefan Lofven announced on Monday that the government will launch an inquiry into its handling of the pandemic before the summer. The decision comes amid rising criticisms from both right and left opposition parties, which insist an independent commission to probe the country's response to the outbreak, news wires reported.

Reinforcing expressively with €2bn its EU Civil Protection Mechanism rescEU tool in the next MFF, to over €3,1bn in total, the Commission provides creation of strategic equipment reserve that will ensure quicker reaction to multiple threats, such as health emergencies, forest ﬁre outbreaks, chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear incidents or other major crises.

France enters a second phase of easing lockdown rules today after an initial loosening of restrictions that began on 11 May as official figures show the novel coronavirus outbreak continuing to diminish in the country.

The country's public debt rose to €262.1 billion ($291.24 billion) in April, over 2.82% in comparison to March when the number remained at €254.8 billion, according to the Portuguese central bank Banco de Portugal (BdP) on Monday, 1 June.

One very important tourist emblem of Belgium - the Atomium, reopened on Monday its doors to the public. The event was celebrated at a small ceremony that took place at the foot of the famous 62-year-old construction.

Twitter would be welcome to move to France should the social media platform face an adverse operating environment in the US, French junior digital affairs minister Cedric O said in an interview with Radio J on Sunday.

Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez will this week seek parliament's approval to extend the state of emergency one final time, which would keep the coronavirus lockdown in place until 21 June. The current emergency is set to expire on 7 June. According to Sanchez, one last two-week extension was required in order to get his hard-hit nation safely out of confinement.

Trade commissioner Phil Hogan is considering putting his name forward as a candidate to be the next director-general of the World Trade Organisation, his spokesman said on Sunday cited by Reuters. The post will become vacant at the end of August after incumbent Roberto Azevedo said he would step down a year early.

Malta will reopen its airport to passenger flights on 1 July in order to restart tourism brought to a halt during the Covid-19 pandemic, PM Robert Abela said on Sunday. Tourism accounts for almost a quarter of Malta's economy and hoteliers have been pressing the government to reopen the airport or risk mass unemployment.

The EU set up on Friday a new special unit of investigators to tackle an anticipated surge in financial crime in the economic downturn caused by the coronavirus pandemic, news wires reported. The European Financial and Economic Crime Centre (EFECC) will work closely with Europol.

Trade commissioner Phil Hogan is considering putting his name forward as a candidate to be the next director-general of the World Trade Organisation, his spokesman said on Sunday cited by Reuters. The post will become vacant at the end of August after incumbent Roberto Azevedo said he would step down a year early.

The European Union and Britain are likely to have to engage in accelerated Brexit talks over the summer because no one expects a breakthrough at the next round of talks, an adviser to the EU’s chief trade negotiator Michel Barnier said on Friday.

19

This website uses cookies

This site uses cookies to store your settings that you would make during your visit